Kyrgyzstan looks into ways to address fake news, online disinformation

Participants discuss fake news, online disinformation (KABAR)

Bishkek: Ways to protect citizens from the negative influence of fake news are being discussed at a dedicated forum in Kyrgyzstan.

“Society, falling under the influence of fake news, is changing significantly in the perception of information and there is a trend of growing number of Kyrgyz people who are their creators and distributors,” the participants were quoted as saying by the national news agency KABAR.

The Ministry of Culture and Tourism attributed the need to discuss the situation to the fact that Kyrgyzstan is increasingly faced with the problem of dissemination of inaccurate information, especially in social media, and their growing impact on society, as well as the low level of media literacy.

Participants discuss fake news, online disinformation (KABAR)

“The danger of fake news is that it aims to undermine people’s trust in professional journalism and democratic institutions, as well as to complicate the work of state entities,” Minister of Culture, Information and Tourism Azamat Jamankulov said.

“False information is first disseminated online, but then it can be rebroadcast by traditional media.”

Participants discuss fake news, online disinformation (KABAR)

According to KABAR, the participants are addressing mainly the need to change the methods and sources of transferring and receiving information, ways to increase the level of media literacy among the population and to develop critical thinking in people.